Like the debate over the proper ranking of the Star Wars movies, such questions are fit to be bandied about while drinking. They are purely subjective and depend on an individual's personal standards. For example, if your measure of greatness is the amount of frozen tundra a nation possesses, then Canada is great while the US is not so great. If freedom and wealth matter, then America wins the contest going away.
Whatever.
This thought hit me while watching a viral video of Candace Owens getting attacked at Revolt Summit by an angry, young black man who wanted to talk about slavery and Jim Crow. Here's The Amazing Lucas with the clip and a good discussion of it.
I'm a big Lucas fan, so maybe watching this will get you hooked, too.
Anyway, Lucas talks about why Candace's roundabout answer didn't work. The audience wanted a quick response and lost interest in what she had to say pretty quickly. Thinking about this, my response would have been the following.
Who cares? What difference does it make whether it was great or not? The real issue is whether or not you can make something of yourself right now. Can you learn skills and find a good job? If you've got a smartphone, you've got access to all the knowledge in the world and we all have those. Are you going to do something with that or are you going to whine and play the victim while the world passes you by?This can also be aimed directly at this blog. It's an attempt to work through what are effectively pointless, theological issues. It doesn't matter in the long run if I can explain things to my own satisfaction. It's a hobby. What really matters is how I serve my family and community. I can only do a good job of that if I keep learning and improving real life skills. All this dorm room balloon juice is recreational at best and a waste of time at the worst.
Feel free to go on and on about this, but no one really cares. The ones encouraging you want something - your attention and your votes. In exchange, life is going on and you're wasting time complaining.
Or something like that.
Update: I don't completely agree with this conclusion any more. I was sick as a dog yesterday and this was a stream-of-consciousness post written in 5 minutes. I think there is great value in working through your worldview. That said, it really rankles me to see people with so many opportunities wasting them yelling at the past.
3 comments:
This can also be aimed directly at this blog. It's an attempt to work through what are effectively pointless, theological issues. It doesn't matter in the long run if I can explain things to my own satisfaction. It's a hobby. What really matters is how I serve my family and community. I can only do a good job of that if I keep learning and improving real life skills. All this dorm room balloon juice is recreational at best and a waste of time at the worst.
Don't get sucked into that. We already got scolded about that! To love, you've got to understand-- which means you DO need to keep chasing after the truth, until you understand enough to love.
It's not just WHAT you do, it's why.
I caught part of a radio show the other day, and for some reason it 'feels' like a good idea to pass it on-- ever read St. Francis de Sales' stuff?
The one where he says there is nothing as strong as gentleness, and nothing as gentle as true strength?
He was a very practical person, maybe that'll help?
tl;dw
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